Chapter 3 #3
Arthur’s bespectacled eyes came to her mind, imploring her.
She couldn’t blame him for falling prey to Mrs Gardner’s cunning tactics, believing himself to have made new friends.
This group of vultures had seen him as nothing more than an easy mark.
They didn’t know what they had in store for them.
The fire of a protective older sister burned inside Georgina.
She needed to help Arthur, for Henry’s sake.
Since childhood, Georgina had seen in Henry the best of humankind.
Her older brother was golden-hearted, a jovial child despite early illness related to being a miris, a flirtatious teenager (which made Georgina proud), and a fiercely loyal young man despite his proclivity for teasing his baby sister.
There was no one like him. And yet, she saw in Arthur the same exceptional kindness and exceptional vulnerabilities that Henry possessed.
She could not, must not, stand by and let Arthur be victimised. Georgina needed to act—and act now.
***
After supper, Georgina and Lady Mortimer exchanged calling cards and retired to different tables.
Georgina was sorry to part ways with Lady Mortimer, but she knew that Mrs Gardner would need to consider her impaired to take advantage of her like she had poor Arthur.
Therefore, she adopted a careless demeanour.
She semi-reclined in her seat and swivelled in her chair so she could cross her legs at the ankles.
She kept her cards turned down on the table, referring to them only occasionally, to appear wild and daring.
Georgina’s play grew more and more reckless as she dispatched several glasses of Burgundy between hands of cards.
She maintained a blank expression and regarded her fellow players from beneath half-closed eyelids, taking the odd sip from her glass.
The more she drank, the less calculated her outlays became.
She was aware of Lady Mortimer’s occasional glance.
Perhaps it would prove beneficial that the Countess believed she could not hold her liquor.
Georgina doubted that her new friend was complicit in Mrs Gardner’s shady behaviour, but Lady Mortimer’s concern would not hurt public acceptance of her little performance.
“Lady Gianna, Major Gentry, Peer Ormskirk, Miss Pace!” Mrs Gardner crooned, sidling up to their table from nowhere. “I trust you are all enjoying yourselves!”
Georgina raised a brow and watched the hostess casually dismiss the dealer from his post holding the bank.
“Goodness, you have all been playing for the most paltry stakes! How lily-livered you all are. I thought you were all significantly more hardened than that!” she challenged.
“Shall we set the stakes at twenty-five pounds?”
Major Gentry made a choking sound. “Oh, my good woman. That puts me out.” He vacated his chair.
With those stakes, Georgina was not surprised that no one immediately swept into his empty seat.
Either way, it did not matter. Georgina had successfully lured Mrs Gardner like a bee to nectar, and she met the wagers without hesitation.
She laughed responsively at Mrs Gardner’s jokes, despite loathing the lady to her core.
She resented the need to outlay any money in this establishment, and it made her blood boil to watch the others at the table lose the contents of their pockets.
No one seemed to mind what was going on.
It would all be worth it to help Arthur and other honourians who might have fallen victim.
Georgina smiled valiantly through her disdain and continued to push notes and coins across the table as her losses mounted.
When it looked like she had exhausted her funds, she patted the breast pockets of her jacket and extricated a crumpled pound note.
She took her time to flatten it out on the table before tossing it carelessly towards Mrs Gardner.
A minute or two later, Lady Mortimer claimed the free spot in the game.
“This is an unlucky table.” Georgina revealed her cards to anyone who happened to be looking.
Lady Mortimer maintained her gravity. “Let us see if we can even the score a little.”
Georgina watched, surprised, as Lady Mortimer matched her bets with an equal measure of negligence, only to lose a substantial sum to Georgina.
Whilst she could not be certain, Georgina suspected that Lady Mortimer’s presence had checked Mrs Gardner, who had downgraded the stakes.
Had Lady Mortimer signaled to her to reduce the bet?
Or was her mere presence enough to stop Mrs Gardner from hunting prey?
Georgina had wanted to appear vulnerable, drunk, and uninhibited, in the hope that Mrs Gardner might put her guard down and reveal her ploys of deception.
Georgina needed to see the predator in action before she could get Arthur’s vowels back and then expose Solitaires to the authorities.
How could she do this with Lady Mortimer hovering nearby?
To her annoyance—and despite her efforts at the contrary—-Georgina started to win hands against both Mrs Gardner and Lady Mortimer. Her teeth grazed her bottom lip.
“I believe you shall ruin me, Miss Pace,” Lady Mortimer said. “Might I persuade you to capitulate so I may keep my dignity?”
Georgina blinked a few times, disoriented at once by Lady Mortimer’s piercing gaze and the sudden turn of events. “Of course, Lady Mortimer. I surrender.” She extended a conciliatory hand.
In place of a handshake, Lady Mortimer kissed Georgina’s hand delicately.
A trill of pleasure fluttered through Georgina. This was in stark contrast to the frustration of her thwarted plans. No one ever kissed her hand. What the devil was going on?
“Now that you have defeated us all, might I escort you home?”
Georgina suffocated a curse. Under different circumstances, she would have relished being escorted out by an attractive woman. Right now, she wished Lady Mortimer would simply go away, stop distracting her with that sweet scent, and leave her to her business.
“I can fend for myself, my lady.”
“I do not doubt it, Miss Pace. But I should not rest easy until I have seen my new friend safely settled at home.”
Georgina’s belly tightened, and she realised that the Countess still held her hand.
Lady Mortimer’s fingers were narrow and long, free from gaudy rings.
Her fair skin was incredibly smooth. Perhaps Georgina could dismantle Solitaires another day.
She would benefit from some time reflecting on a strategy—and could even consult her best friend Coulthurst on the matter.
“You would not deprive me of a good night’s sleep?” Lady Mortimer’s eyes flashed.
“That would be a privilege, my lady,” Georgina quipped instinctively, enjoying the colour that flooded her new friend’s cheeks in reply.
After bidding Mrs Gardner a good night, the two ladies found themselves on the street outside, where Lady Mortimer hailed them a hackney.
Georgina slipped her gloves on, all the signs of her supposed drunkenness dissolving. “Fresh air is quite miraculous. It clears the head quickly.”
“I thought you were completely in your cups, my girl.”
Georgina shook her head. “It takes a little more than that, my lady. But I appreciate your solicitude.”
Lady Mortimer signalled for the passing carriage to stop, then turned to Georgina and regarded her with a stern frown. “Me-thinks you are playing a deep game.”
“Possibly.” Georgina held her hand out and assisted Lady Mortimer inside. She climbed in after her and gave the driver her direction. “Might I restore your losses to you? I have an inkling that you lost to me on purpose.”
“Not at all. You won squarely.”
“Well, please allow me to apologise for the deception, at least.” Georgina flashed Lady Mortimer a bright smile.
“There is nothing to forgive, Miss Pace.”
Georgina liked her. Lady Mortimer appeared respectable in every conceivable way.
She was honourable, possessed her own title and fortune, and would have nothing to gain from working with the likes of Mrs Gardner.
As the ill-sprung hackney bounced the pair along the streets, Georgina decided the Countess could be trusted with the truth—or some part of it.
“I am trying to assist a friend of mine to remedy a difficult situation. I have it on good authority that Mrs Gardner has acted rather disgracefully. She needs to be held to account.”
Lady Mortimer’s hands were folded in her lap, but her thumbs rubbed together. “That is a serious accusation. I wish you every success in correcting the situation, Miss Pace. How do you intend to hold Mrs Gardner responsible?”
“Never you mind, my lady.” Georgina turned away to stare into the night. A misty rain had started to fall, lightly obscuring the lamp-lit street. Hooves made rhythmic clicks upon the slick cobbled stones, as the carriage rocked gently from side to side. “The fewer people who know, the better.”
Lady Mortimer sighed. “I do hope you will be prudent.”
“Alas, Prudence follows me wherever I go,” she returned wryly, speaking more of the person than the adjective.
The hackney had stopped outside Georgina’s residence.
She took a long look at Lady Mortimer, then offered a hand.
“Here we are then. I cannot promise an uninterrupted night’s sleep, but I vow not to deprive you of anything else. ”
In the darkness of the carriage, Lady Mortimer stifled a laugh. “Miss Pace!”
“You are not joining me? How disappointing. I thought you wished to see me safely settled at home.”
“I trust your doorstep is safe enough for now, Miss Pace.”
“Very well. For now, my lady.” Georgina took Lady Mortimer’s hand and placed a kiss on it.
The rain suddenly intensified, and the urge to remain in the carriage indefinitely also grew.
However, Georgina would not make the driver suffer.
“Thank you for your company this evening. I hope I have proved to be a sufficiently interesting new acquaintance that you might wish to see me again?” She descended onto the street without pausing for an answer.
Almost in a whisper, Lady Mortimer replied, “A most interesting new acquaintance, Miss Pace.” The vehicle lurched away into the night.